Thursday, January 6, 2011

Little Puzzler...

If my son wasn't a two and a half, I would get him tested for OCD. And I know it is a serious disease and I don't mean to joke about it but he has some serious obsession issues! From the way he has to have his hair washed (the hours of my life I have wasted waiting for Dylan to fill up my "rinse cup") to the methodical bedtime routine he has, he has constant issues about routine and the way he has to do things step by step, the same every time. And just like all toddlers, Dylan has stages that he goes through that become obsessions. His two main things he's obsessed with right now are cars/sports temporary tattoos and puzzles. Now most poeple would say those aren't bad obsessions and I would agree for the most part. Tattoos aren't bad because they only take thirty seconds to apply and he hasn't learned that they can go on other places on his body other than his hands so he has to wait for the one set to dissipate before we have to reapply new ones. However puzzles are another story... Everyone loves puzzles, babies, kids, parents, seniors. They are good for the mind, good for the fine motor skills. Every parent wants their kids to want to play puzzles. What is wrong with puzzles? Well, the main concept here is "obsession." He wakes up asking to do puzzles, he goes to bed asking to do a puzzle. If I didn't watch other children, I think the child would only ever play puzzles. I even bribe him to eat with puzzles ("if you eat a good dinner, I will do a puzzle with you after we eat). It wouldn't be so bad if he could be an independent puzzler, but at this stage, he still needs some help with getting the puzzles started and often gets frustrated so someone has to be near by to help him with his puzzles. I swear today for the first time, I suggested him watching t.v. just so I wouldn't have to do another puzzle with him, what kind of awful mom does that?? But obsession doesn't even begin to describe it. Outside of running around doing his nightly routine with the dog and our out-of-the-house activities, Dylan would sit and do puzzles all day if he could. The other day my husband and I were driving to our separate sporting practices and he looks over at me and says with a twinkle in his eye "play puzzles?" We both hadn't heard it in over twenty minutes and had to hear in order for it to feel like an ordinary day! Luckily we realize this is just a stage and appreciate it while we can because soon obsessions with be the video games and cell phone (yuck, I really am NOT looking forward to that stage!!) but sometimes, I just can't take doing any more PUZZLES!!

Here are some of Dylan's favorite puzzle phrases: where'd this go guys? I yikes zis one (I like this on). Play puzzles? Four corners. Dat be easier. More? Me like this! Where's daat piece?

I love puzzles, I always have and I love watching my child work out the logic reasoning behind each matched piece, but I am so thankful I have a meeting tonight, so that Dad has to do the nightly puzzles:) One day I will look back on this blog and miss the puzzle stage.... but that day is not today:)

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